In this Accredian Spotlight interview, we feature Nitin Agarwal, an Associate Vice President with over 15 years of experience. He is currently associated with NatWest. His insatiable quest for knowledge and upskilling led him to enrol in the PGP in Product Management and Data Science program at Accredian.
Question 1: Which program & batch are you part of at Accredian & tell us more about your current work profile?
Nitin: I am currently part of the Nov 21 cohort however I have upgraded myself to PGPM DS program. I have chosen this program as it is a mix of both Product Management and Data Science.
I am currently working as an Associate Vice President in the Financial Crime Domain within the bank and my job is to make sure that all bank systems are competent to prevent any financial crime and protect individuals, families and business.
Question 2: Walk us through your career journey & what got you interested in Product Management?
Nitin: As part of my career journey I have played various roles like Business Analyst, Product Owner, Project Analyst, Solution Architect, Ux Designer, Development Lead and QA lead.
My end objective is to initiate a start-up, solve the user problem and to bring transformation in the lives of customers which includes individuals, communities and business.
I have joined the Product Management program as I am very passionate about this area and want to excel in it.
Question 3: What all Product Management concepts, frameworks & tools have you mastered in your program at Accredian so far?
Nitin: Concepts that I have mastered are:
- Roles and responsibilities of Product Manager
- What is Product Management
- Difference between Product Management and Product owner
- KANO
- RICE
- MECE
- Product Strategy
- Mission and vision statement roadmap
Question 4: What were some of the initial challenges when you got started on your Product Management journey and how did you overcome it?
Nitin: Connecting the lessons with real life situations was a major challenge and to resolve the same, I began working on case studies which provided me exposure to situations taught during the classroom.
Question 5: Who is your favourite faculty at Accredian and what did you learn from them?
Nitin: I have been taught by only one faculty Ankur Jha so could not answer much, however I really like how Manvender Singh has explained the importance of Product Management.
Question 6: In your view, what is the goal of Product Management & how has it evolved in the last few years?
Nitin: The goal of Product Management is to solve user problems at a bigger scale. With the start-up ecosystem on the rise in India there is a bigger impetus on lean start-up and how to deliver business values faster to the customer and deliver various features in the iterative model.
Question 7: What are the current trends in Product Management that you are most excited about?
Nitin: I am mostly excited about:
- User research
- Lean start-up
- Product Roadmap
- Product Vision and Strategy
- Application of Data Science in Product Management
Question 8: Which are some of the Product Management blogs, podcasts, communities & channels that you follow?
Nitin: For blogs and channels, I follow:
- Accredian
- PM School
- PM careers
- Swag waala channel
- Glen Mcdowell
Question 9: Please tell how your journey has been with Accredian so far and what are the elements that you liked.
It has been good so far. There were a few suggestions which I have provided which Accredian has happily accepted which means that the team embraces change and takes feedback seriously.
Question 10: What is your advice to anyone wanting to start a career in Product Management?
Nitin: Determination to lead a product and make changes in the customer lives should be the guiding principle. This role requires patience, perseverance and constant learning to be up to date with the latest scenarios.
Hope you enjoyed reading this interview. If you want to read more such interesting student stories, check out Accredian Spotlight.
